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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Praising God

Young Enlightened Submitters

God is so merciful, He told us about everything that we need to make it all the way to
Heaven to be in everlasting happiness. One of these ways is to praise God and show appreciation to Him.

Praising God will make us stronger believers and better submitters. Everytime we praise
God and remember Him we grow stronger as believers.

God gave us the chance to praise Him at least 17 times a day when we do our contact prayers, Salat.

We can however praise God many times a day for everything. Remember that all the creatures that God created around us are continuously praising God, even if we do not understand their languages or their praise.

[17:44] Glorifying Him (GOD) are the seven universes, the earth, and everyone in them. There is nothing that does not glorify Him, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Clement, Forgiver.

The sun glorifies God day and night

The moon glorifies God, day and night

All the stars glorify God, day and night

The sky glorifies God, day and night

The trees glorify God, day and night

The animals glorify God day and night

The mountains glorify God, day and night

But only some people glorify God, day and night, the believers, the submitters.
God gave the submitters a chance to glorify and praise Him day and night and
promised to reward them for remembering to do so.

The first sura in the Quran is called Al-Fateha in Arabic or "The Key" in English.
It is the sura we recite in our prayers-salat, 17 times a day.
This sura has the praise to God and the prayers we say to ask God for guidance.
This is the sura we need to know and recite in Arabic.
We should understand exactly every word in this sura.
God does not want you to pray to Him with words that you do not know or understand.
Learning this sura in Arabic is easy and fun to learn.

Quran

Sura 1, Al-Fateha - The Key

[1:1] In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
[1:2] Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.
[1:3] Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
[1:4] Master of the Day of Judgment.
[1:5] You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.
[1:6] Guide us in the right path;
[1:7] the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who have deserved wrath, nor of the strayers.

[28:70] He is the one GOD; there is no other god beside Him. To
Him belongs all praise in this first life, and in the
Hereafter. All judgment belongs with Him, and to Him you
will be returned.

God calls on the submitters to praise Him in many suras in the Quran. In sura 34 :

[34:1] Praise be to GOD - to whom belongs everything in the
heavens and the earth; all praise is also due to Him in
the Hereafter. He is the Most Wise, the Cognizant.
[34:2] He knows everything that goes into the earth, and
everything that comes out of it, and everything that
comes down from the sky, and everything that climbs into
it. He is the Most Merciful, the Forgiving.

Vocabulary:

cognizant = fully informed, fully aware, knows everything.

In Sura 10, God tells us about the believers and their reward in Heaven.

[10:9] As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, their
Lord guides them, by virtue of their belief. Rivers will
flow beneath them in the gardens of bliss.
[10:10] Their prayer therein is: "Be You glorified, our god,"
their greeting therein is, "Peace," and their ultimate
prayer is: "Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe."

Vocabulary:

by virtue= because of

bliss= Paradise, Heaven, complete happiness

In Sura 17, God is teaching us about praising Him and magnifying Him.

[17:110] Say, "Call Him GOD, or call Him the Most Gracious;
whichever name you use, to Him belongs the best names."
You shall not utter your Contact Prayers (Salat) too
loudly, nor secretly; use a moderate tone.
[17:111] And proclaim: "Praise be to GOD, who has never begotten a
son, nor does He have a partner in His kingship, nor does
He need any ally out of weakness," and magnify Him
constantly.

Vocabulary:

utter = to speak or make some sort of sound from your mouth.

proclaim = praise, declare, openly and in public

ally = helper, associate

In Sura 40, God is reminding us of some of His blessings.

[40:61] GOD is the One who designed the night so you can rest in
it, and the day lighted. GOD bestows many blessings upon
the people, but most people are not thankful.
[40:62] Such is GOD your Lord, the Creator of all things. There
is no god except He. How could you deviate?
[40:63] Deviating are those who disregard GOD's revelations.
[40:64] GOD is the One who rendered the earth habitable for you,
and the sky a formidable structure, and He designed you,
and designed you well. He is the One who provides you
with good provisions. Such is GOD your Lord; Most
Exalted is GOD, Lord of the universe.

Vocabulary:

bestow = to give as a gift

deviate = to get off the right way

habitable = suitable (good enough) to be lived in

formidable = awesome , very strong , amazing and beautiful

Exalted = praised, glorified, magnified

In Sura 35, God reminds us again that he is the Only God.

[35:1] Praise be to GOD, Initiator of the heavens and the earth, and appointer of the angels to be messengers with wings - two, three, and four (wings). He increases the creation as He wills. GOD is Omnipotent.
[35:2] When GOD showers the people with mercy, no force can stop it. And if He withholds it, no force, other than He, can send it. He is the Almighty, Most Wise.
[35:3] O people, remember GOD's blessings upon you. Is there any creator other than GOD who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? There is no other god beside Him.
How could you deviate?

Vocabulary:

initiate = to introduce or start something new.

appoint = to set, to assign, name officially

Omnipotent = have all the authority and power

The best news from God, is what he told us in sura 14, verse 7;

[14:7] Your Lord has decreed: "The more you thank Me, the more I
give you." But if you turn unappreciative, then My
retribution is severe.

Vocabulary:

decree = to order

One of the most important and most repeated commandments in the Quran is :

[33:41] O you who believe, you shall remember God frequently; glorify Him day and night."

To do that we can learn from what the Quran teaches us. Quran gives us some good ways to remember God and glorify Him all the time. For Example:

The Contact Prayers (Salat): Doing salat and getting ready to do salat remind us of God. In salat we praise God, glorify Him and thank Him for His blessings.

Quran teaches us to remember God before eating: Verse 6:121 enjoins us to mention God's name before we eat: "You shall not eat from that upon which God's name has not been mentioned."

If you plan to do anything remember to say God Willing (IN SHAA ALLAH). "You shall not say, 'I will do this or that tomorrow,' without saying, 'God willing'(IN SHAA ALLAH). If you forget to do this, then apologize and say, 'May my Lord guide me to do better next time.'"[18:24]

Glorify God day and night : When we eat anything, we must reflect on God's creation
of the food we are eating-the flavor, the colors, the varieties.... etc.- and glorify Him as we enjoy that. When we see a beautiful flower, or animal, or sunsets, we must glorify God. We must seize every possible opportunity to remember and glorify God, so that God may remember us with His support and blessings.

When you you wake up every morning, remember God. Mention His name, say the shahada or recite Al-Fateha, sura 1, for example. Make it a habit to mention God's name "In the name of God, Most gracious, Most Merciful" before starting any chore.

More Quran

[33:35] ..........and the men who commemorate God frequently, and the commemorating women; God has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense.

[2:152] You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative